Repeating photoflash gun



DCC. 16, R, E SHAW ET AL REPEATING PHOTOFLASH GUN Filed March 23, 1954 l 2 Sheets-Shea?I 1 ROBERT E. sHAw FRANK H. WALKER By JOHN H. Qu|NN,JR.

A-r To RWE Y Dec. 16, 195s R. E. SHAW ETAL 2,864,938

REPEATING PHOLASH GUN Filed March 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ROBERT SHAW FRANm-LwALKER BY JoHNH.QUlNN.JR.

4TTuR/VEY- United States Patent O 2,864,938 REPEATING PHOTOFLASH GUN Robert E. Shaw, Beverly, Frank H. Walker, Salem, and

John H. Quinn, Jr., South Hamilton, Mass., assignors to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., Salem, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 23, 1954, Serial N o. 418,172 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-37) This invention relates to photoflash lamps and to apparatus in which they are used. Such apparatus is generally called a fiashgun.

Such flashguns have heretofore required expensive constructions and gearing to be effective, and were hence unsuitable for use with the simpler and cheaper type of camera. The object of the present invention is to provide a ashgun suitable for such types of camera, although it is not confined to such use.

In the embodiment of the invention described herein, a strip holding several photoflash lamps is fed through a chamber in steps, means being provided to move each lamp in succession through the chamber to the flashing position and to eject the lamp after flashing and allo-w a new lamp to enter the chamber.

` Other objects, features, advantages, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of one embodiment, in section;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the device in section;

Fig. 3 is a view of the lamps in a belt;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the front portion of the chamber;

Fig. 5 is another embodiment, shown in a vertical sect1on;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the device; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View through the chamber of said device.

2,864,938 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 lamp 22. The knob 24 at the rear end of rod 4 serves as a means of handling it and also acts as a stop on the forward motion of rod 4.

The spring ngers 8 are fixed to the forward end of rod 4 and are insulated therefrom by the insulating ring support 73 to avoid shorting the lamp. The conical portion 29 of the lamp base is of insulating material.

The side. walls 25, 26 extend somewhat above the chamber 3, to guide the bulb belt 27 bearing the flashlamp 28.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lamps 28 are held between the strips 30 and 31 of belt 27, being stapled or other- In Fig. 1, the reflector 1 having a central hole is attached to the forward portion 2 of the plastic chamber 3, so that the opening in the reliector is in line with an opening in the forward portion 2 of the plastic chamber 3. A loading rod 4 projects through the rear portion 5 of chamber 3, through a bushing 6 to reduce wear and secure proper alignment of the said rod.

A base holder 7 projects from the forward end of rod 4, the fingers 8 of the base holder 7 being capable of grasping the outside shell 72 of the bulb base firmly and making electrical contact therewith.

The transverse pins 9 are extended radially a short distance into the chamber 3, being biased toward the axis of the chamber 3 by the flat contact springs 10 which bear against them, being held by screws 11 to the outside of chamber 3, thereby making electrical and mechanical contact with said springs 10, the latter making electrical and mechanical contact with pins 9. The latter are kept from extending too far into the hollow portion of the chamber wall 12 by the heads 13.

The contact pin 14 extends a short distance out of the forward portion of the hollow metal rod 4, being biased toward the front of the latter by the coiled spring 15, which bears between the block 16 (fixed inside said rod 4) and the head 17 of contact pin 14, which is capable of sliding in the large-diameter bore 18 of rod 4, the main portion of the pin 14 sliding in the forward cylindrical portion of smaller diameter.

The metal ball 19 is seated in an opening through the bushing 6 and the rear portion 5 of chamber 3 by the flat contact spring 23. The ball 19 rides in a longitudinal groove 33 in metal rod 4, which is in contact with pin 14, which in turn extends forward into contact with the eyelet contact 20 on the base 21 of ashwise held together between the lamps 28, staples 34 being shown. The belt may be of cardboard, plastic, or other suitable material.

In operation, the belt 27 is inserted through the top of the chamber 3, between guide walls 25 and 26, enough length 32 being left on the belt below the lowest lamp 22 to allow the belt 27 to be pulled through the chamber 3. The belt is then pulled down until a lamp 22 rests against the bottom of chamber 3, the opening in which is made short enough to prevent the lamp from being pulled through it with the belt. The opening in the top of chamber 3 is made longer, long enough to permit the belt 27 to enter with the lamp 22. The lamp isA somewhat longer than the width of the belt 27.

The rod 4 is then pushed forward by means of the knob 24 until the lingers 8 grasp the base 21 of the lamp 22 firmly and pin 14 contacts .the eyelet 20 in the base 21. The pins 9 restrain the lamp 22 until that is accomplished. Further pushing of the rod 4 then moves the lamp 22 by the pins 9 at the forward part of the chamber 3 and into the reflector 1 until the knob 24 has reached the limit of its motion, at which time thev pins 9 will be making contact to the fingers 8 which in turn will be contacting the shell 72 of the lamp base 21.

The lamp 22 will then by ready for use, and can be flashed by connecting the metal strip 10 and the fiat spring clip 23, through a suitable battery, to the synchronizing contacts of a camera shutter. A battery chamber can be fixed to the side of chamber 3 for convenience and, if desired, can be mechanically fixed to a camera in any convenient manner, preferably detachably by screws.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the ashlamps 35 are set in a cardboard channel 36 having openings 37 into which the base 38 of the fiashbulb can be set and held, the openings 37 having slightly smaller diameter than that of the base 38 beforel the latter is pushed into them. The base 38 is of smaller diameter than that of the bulb 39, and has the cylindrical metal shell 40, from which the insulating plug 41, which can be of glass, projects to hold the eyelet contact 42. The shell 40 has the circumferential groove 43.

The top end of the chamber 44 has a longitudinal opening 45, large enough to admit the flashlamps 35 with their connect-ing channel 36. Since the cardboard channel 36is stiff enough to be self-supporting, the magazine portion 65 of the chamber 44 does not extend as far upwardly as in the embodiment of Fig. 2, where flashlamps 28 are set in a belt 27 which can be flexib1e.

In Fig. 5, the reflector 46 having a central hole is attached to the forward portion 74 of the plastic chamber 44, so that the opening in the reflector 46 is in line with an opening in the forward portion 74 of the plastic chamber 44. A loading rod 47 projects through the rear portion 48 of chamber 44.

A base holder 49 projects from the forward end of rod 47, the fingers 50 of the base holder 49 being capable of grasping the outside shell 40 of the lamp base 38 firmly and making electrical contact therewith.

The transverse pins 51 extend radially a short distance into the chamber 44, being biased toward the axis of said J chamber by springs, as in the embodiment of Fig. 2. The latter are kept from extending out of the chamber Wall 52 by the heads 69.

The contact pin 53 extends a short distance out of the forward portion of the hollow plastic rod 47, being biased toward the front of the latter by the coiled spring 54, which bears between the screw 55 fixed inside said rod 47 and the head 56 of contact pin 53 which is capable of sliding in the large-diameter bore 57 of rod 47, the main portion of the pin 53 sliding in the forward cylindrical portion of smaller diameter.

A metal cylinder 63 covers the insulating plastic rod 47, making contact at one end with the base holder 49 (which `in turn contacts the metal shell 40 of base 38) and at the other end with the ball 59, which rides in a groove 58 in the cylinder 63, being held thereagainst by the flat contact spring 60, attached to the outside of the plastic chamber 44 in any convenient manner. The ball 59 extends through an opening in the wall of chamber 44.

The central Contact pin 53 is biased forwardly by the coiled spring 54 which extends inside the hollow plastic rod 47, between the head 56 of the pin 53 and the screw 55 at the other end of the rod 47. A iiange 75 con nected to said screw 55 extends into contact with a metal ring 76 when the rod 47 is in its forward position. The forward end of contact pin 53 contacts the center eyelet contact 42 of the lamp base 38. Connection to the usual battery and to the shutter synchronizing circuit can be made from the contact pieces 60 and 76. Space for the battery can be provided in the battery chamber 67, at the side of the lamp chamber 44. Electrical connection can then be made from one of the contact pieces 60, 76 to the battery in series and then to one of the camera connecting pins 68, 66, and a connection from the other contact pins can go to the other connecting pin. One of the connecting pins will generally be screwthreaded to t the usual camera receptacles for such pms.

The spring lingers 50 are xed to the forward end of metal cylinder 63 and are insulated thereby from contact with contact pin 53, by rod 47 to avoid shorting the lamp.

In operation, the channel 36 is inserted through the top of the chamber 44. The channel 36 is then pushed down until a bulb 35 rests against the bottom of chamber 44, the opening 62 in which is made short enough longitudinally to prevent the bulb 35 from being pulled through it with the channel 36. The opening 45 in the top of chamber 44 is long'enough to permit the channel 36 to enter with the bulb 35.

The rod 47 is then pushed forward by means of the knob 61 until the lingers 50 grasp the base 38 of the lamp 35 lirmly and pin 53 contacts the eyelet 42 in thev the lamp 64 by the pins S1 at the forward part of the` chamber and into the reflector 46 until the knob 61 has reached the limit of its motion.

What we claim is:

1. A repeating photoash gun for use with a series of photoflash lamps detachably carried by a strip with their longitudinal axis parallel to each other but transverse to said strip, said strip being of width less than the length of a lamp, each of said lamps having a contact base at one end, said gun comprising a hollow chamber for receiving a lamp, said chamber having oppositely disposed longitudinal openings in register with each other in its Walls, one of said openings being longer than the length of the lamp to permit entry of the lamps and strip with thelarnp parallel to the axis of said chamber, the other opening in said chamber being long enough to permit exit of the strip but short enough to prevent exit of the lamp, a spring holder for said contact base and movable in said hollow chamber, a loading rod attached to said holder and extending out of one end of said holder and movable therein to move said lamp to an exposed position at the other end of said chamber, a resilient stop near said other end of said container to hold the bulb against the movement of said rod until the holder firmly grasps said base and then to allow forward motion of the lamp in said holder, said holder also serving to hold the lamp against movement with said rod when the latter is retracted, thereby ejecting the bulb from said holder.

2. A repeating photoash gun for use with a series of photoilash bulbs detachably carried by a strip with their longitudinal axis parallel to each other but transverse to said strip, said strip being of width less than the length of a lamp, each of said lamps having a contact base at one end, said gun comprising a reflector having a central opening, 'a hollow chamber for receiving a lamp, said chamber being attached to said reflector in register with said central opening and in communication therewith and having oppositely disposed longitudinal openings in register with each other in its walls, one of said openings being long enough to permit entry of the lamps and strip, the other being long enough to permit exit of the strip but short enough to prevent exit of the lamp, a spring holder for said contact base and movable in said hollow chamber, a loading rod attached to said holder and eX- tending out of one end of said holder and movable therein to move said lamp to an exposed position at the other end of said holder, a resilient stop near said other end of said holder to hold the lamp against the movement of said rod until the holder Iirmly grasps the base and then to allow forward motion of the lamp `in said holder, said holder also serving to hold the lamp against retraction movement with said rod when the latter is retracted, thereby ejecting the bulb from said holder.

3. A repeating photoash gun for use with a series of photoflash lamps detachably carried by a strip with their longitudinal axis parallel to each other but transverse to said strip, said strip having a series of hollow receptacles in which lamps can be held, said strip being of width less than the length of a lamp, each of said lamps having a contact base at one end, said gun comprising a hollow chamber for receiving a lamp, said chamber having oppositely disposed longitudinal openings in register with each other in its walls, one of said openings being longer than the length of the lamp to permit entry of the lamps and strip with the lamp parallel to the axis of said chamber, the other opening insaid chamber being long enough to permit exit of the strip but short enough to prevent exit of the lamp, a spring holder for said contact base and movable in said hollow chamber and through each of said hollow receptacles in said strip when the receptacle is in the chamber, a loading rod attached to said holder and movable in said chamber to move said lamp through said hollow receptacle to an exposed position at the other end of said chamber, a resilient stop near said other end of said container to hold the bulb against the movement of said rod until the holder firmly grasps said base and then to allow forward motion of the lamp in said holder, said holder also serving to hold the lamp against movement with said rod when the latter is retracted, thereby ejecting the bulb from said holder.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 615,885 Ormond Dec. 13, 1898 2,006,171 Kalhaus et al. June 25, 1935 2,214,230 Freeburg Sept. 10, 1940 2,230,829 Cesareo Feb. 4, 1941 2,251,609 Freeburg Aug. 5, 1941 2,408,470 Noel et al. Oct. 1, V1,946 2,485,404 Noel Oct. 18, 1949 2,672,039 Schwartz et al Mar. 16, 1954 2,774,861 Shaw et al. Dec. 1.8, 1956 2,774,862 Zwald Dec. 18, 1956 

